around a large brick pit. Ashes coated the
inner bricks a dark gray. Charred logs poked out from the teepee of
fresh wood waiting to be lit. A wooden railing lined the far end of the
deck, but lengthwise against the forest was open.
The yard sloped down a distance before the towering redwoods
sprouted up at the forest’s edge. The grass still held a lush green,
despite the onset of fall. Overall, Lenox had a spectacular view with a
warm home and plenty of fashionable utilities. His entire kitchen was
top-line stainless steel and granite. Even the floor beneath her feet
was pristine and polished mahogany.
Warm. Encompassing.
She needed all the comfort she could find. Her cracked resolve
began to crumble as the events from the night prior sank in marrow
deep. Her spirit tore, her wolf howled with grief. She lowered her
fork, her appetite dwindling, and shifted her attention to the letter.
Carter—
You must have been searching for Aya for some time now. Word
travels through the wolfen communities, even in California. I hope
you understand and accept why I kept her hidden this long. She
needed to grow, to learn, as any young woman would. It was her
mother’s wish.
Recently, I have become aware of a rebel pack hunting me. It’s
only a matter of time before they find us. I must know that Aya’s
future is secured. I have taught her the basic ways of the wolf. She
knows how to transform, to speak along the telepathic links, and
connect with her inner spirit. She has become extremely attuned to
her wolfen self, and I’m sure, with further guidance from you, she will
32
Rhea Regale
blossom into a magnificent alpha leader. However, I have not
disclosed the legacy to her.
If you’re reading this, most likely I have perished and Aya is
running from danger. I trust in you to keep her safe and aid in her
development as the stunning white wolf we all dreamed she would
become. You have been given a sacred position as her mate. It is your
duty to keep her safe from harm, to give your life in place of hers.
Remember your vow to the spirits on that fateful eve and forever hold
her dear to you. She is one of the last white wolves.
With these words, I give you my niece. I will leave it up to you to
convince the other of his position in her life.
Charles White
The haunting sound of her uncle’s voice recited the letter in her
mind, bringing a swell of emotion to the surface. For almost sixteen
hours, adrenaline drove her without food, sleep, or tears of mourning.
She was rushing along on fear and panic, a grimy outer shell lacking a
pilot to direct her. Tears brimmed the barriers of her eyes, and she
finally allowed them the freedom to fall. Grief welled up like an
overinflated balloon in her chest. Pressure pained her, constricting
along her throat. Her chin quivered. The salty scent of streaming tears
stung her nose.
Her uncle knew someone was after him and never told her. It
explained his efficiency last night but didn’t make the loss of him any
easier. If he knew someone was after him, why didn’t he move her?
Why did he let them destroy everything they built? All of their
memories?
Why did he sacrifice himself?
“It might be easier to understand why he did what he did when
you hear about how you survived the massacre twenty-five years
ago.”
Lenox’s soothing voice unleashed the floodgates. Aya broke
down, lowering her head to her arms. She wrapped her hands behind
Wild Nights
33
her neck. The memory of the fire—its acrid scent, the intense heat
that billowed outward, the horror that befell her as she watched her
uncle dive straight into the madness, helpless to stop him—
overwhelmed her.
Lenox knelt down on the floor beside her chair. She didn’t resist
when he gently eased her off the chair and into his arms. She clung to
his waist and pressed her wet face to his hard chest. He rocked her,
stroking her back while the searing pain of her loss finally